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Religions Registry
= Last edit: Feb 3 by Jovan = List of all Religions by Country of Origin Community Thought to exist thousands of years ago as a polytheistic religion, Haibeism revolves around 4 main deities (called the Haibes plural) that encapsulates the essence of a human being. The Haibes act as heavenly rulers that shape the mind , the body and the spirit of the religion's followers as the followers' duty is to be able to portray the characteristics of each of the Haibes in order to please the Haibes and be granted entry to the Meadows of Eternal Bliss (the RL equivalent of heaven). Haibes The four main deities of Haibeism, they represent the human being and are as follows: Iscus The deity of control. He is associated with a mortal's grasp of his own decisions , emotions , thoughts and actions. He is also the deity responsible for sinning and acts of kindness. Humans who show benevolence appease him while humans who commits misdeed and sins opposes his teaching of controlling one's actions to benefit his brethren. He wields a 100-feet chain made of iron. Satora The deity of creation. She is associated with any aspects involving families , relationships and life. Her teachings include showing respect to superiors , friends and elders , acting against infidelity , having children etc. Adulterers are punished by her while families are blessed with longevity and fertility should they continue to please Sutora. She wields a glove made of wool. Berih The deity of abilities. She is associated with one's capabilities and talents. It is thought that every newborn is given their own innate abilities by Berih and her teachings mainly consists of always using one's talents and abilities for the better good and to always find their potential to exceed human limits. Berih dislike sloths and individuals who manipulates others to do their bidding. Followers who wish to master a certain skill can pray to Berih to bless them with heightened understanding of said skill. She is equipped with an ancient wood string instrument. Reccog The deity of vision. His sphere of influence is rather large , ruling over the laws of a human's appearance and the laws of how humans perceive things in accordance to their hearts and mind. He preaches that one should always be content with how they should look like , how others should look like and the view of any situation that they are in. His teachings also include using emotions and logic to be able to be able to better see things in a positive manner, a manner that is approved by the Haibes. He wields a helmet made from fused bones of animals. Nizers The Haibes are also accompanied by the Nizers , which were supposedly humans that were able to accomplish the proper portrayal of the Haibes. They are the RL equivalent to patron saints and are designated an aspect of life to protect. It was said that once they have completed a proper portrayal of the Haibes , they were contacted by the four Haibes in their sleep and are to be expelled from their mortal body if they are to join the Haibes as Nizers. Thus , chosen Nizers actually pass away and are immortalized as the guardians standing on the shoulders of the Haibes. Some examples of Nizers are: Emotions Feema – Nizer of Sadness Bing – Nizer of Anger Eese – Nizer of Fear Daravee - Nizer of Happiness Physical Constitution Jdee - Nizer of Strength Mayakro – Nizer of Health Sakareni – Nizer of Diseases Societal Carot – Nizer of Children Pei Yee – Nizer of Laws and Regulations Len and Lin – Nizers of Twins Nature Malyore – Nizer of Forests Scriptures of the Blessed There are passages called the “Scriptures of The Blessed” which were engraved on mountains by the Haibes. It was discovered by Anuie , history’s alleged first Messenger. As the Messenger, he was to convey the scriptures as the mortal voice of the Haibes. He had recorded and written the Scriptures in one of Haibenism’s most important literature – du Aspharr. The Scriptures consists of 6 passages that contained the true way of living as a follower of the Haibes. One must recite the 6 passages before leaving a place of Haibenic worship , before the recital vows in a wedding and after a birth of a child in order to instil Haibenic values onto the newlyborn child. The Scriptures are as of follows (extracted from du Aspharr) 1 The gift of death is as significant as the gift of life. When you are born , you are to welcome the world as the world welcomes you. When you die , you are to embrace the world as the world embraces you. 2 Strive to be yourself. With their energy , the Haibes have given you the gift of life with your own attributes. Live not as someone else but as someone that you can define as you. 3 Care like a shepherd , be cared for like a sheep. Provide for those who are unable to do so for themselves , carry those who are not able to bring themselves up and you shall be cured for when you are unable to cure yourself. Do not take pride in providing care but show modesty. Express gratitude in receiving care but do not show disdain in those that feed you. 4 The world is finite. Living in excess is not the way of living amongst the Haibes. Only take fruits that you need and plant the seeds that those fruit brings. 5 Do not refuse the duty of being a Nizer. The role of a guardian is to be relished. Do not deny your brethren of protection. When you are called upon to join the Haibes as their right hand man , accept with much gusto , do not question the aspect of life you are to protect and perform your tasks dutifully. 6 Bow down to all , but recognize only one. There will be brothers and sisters that do not see the Haibes as the superior ones. Show respect to who they kneel for but only worship the Haibes. Helidara The Helidaran Pantheon Essentially the Ancient Egyptian Pantheon, while the principles and values of the Helidaran pantheon vary between which part of the pantheon you have as your patron, that is to say worship, there are a few that go across all of them, these being: -don't steal -don't kill people -don't desecrate the dead -don't desecrate offerings -try and avoid anger unless it's justly caused -adultery is bad Structure of the religion: The structure of the religion is that it's pretty scattered, in that there's a branch for each individual god, of which there are over a hundred. Not all of them are worshipped equally, but the way it works is that people really choose a "patron" god, and they follow that god's overarching principles, which is generally more than I already listed. Thought’s on foreigners and other religions: Welcoming of other religions, as long as they don't try and push themselves down our throats, so to speak. Methods of worship: Methods of worship tend to call on somewhat grand events that vary in frequency based on which branch you're in, can range from fortnightly to bi-yearly, and most temples call for an offering for the gods around once a year. This isn't to say you can't pray to a god whenever, but these events are the most looked forward to parts of the religion. On balance: Nothing is inherantly good or evil, the goddess of war is equal and as honourable as the goddess of peace. Inxin and Tari Shan Inxin itself is filled with many minor beliefs and so what is worshipped, methods, thoughts and structure can vary from region to region. Tenshenism is the religion worshiped in both Inxin and in Tari Shan that also varies to an extent due to differences in approaches to religion. Tenshenism Tenshen, a "sky father" type god, is believed to have been lonely and created a number of caretaker deities who in turn created the world and all things within it. Tenshen and his children live on an alternate plane somewhere above the world (hence a prevalence of places named "Mount Tenshen" in Inxin and Tari Shan). The gods worshiped by other peoples that Tenshenists make contact with are assumed to be children of Tenshen. Methods of worship: It is considered fine to worship any child of Tenshen (as long as it is not a living person, which is considered to be upsetting the balance between the mundane and the divine), but Tenshenists maintain that access to Tenshen's afterlife and any of these gods relies on acknowledging the authority of Tenshen with an annual Ritual of the Skies on the vernal equinox. This is an elaborate affair traditionally, involving a three-hour-long service mostly made up of group songs and chants and centered on either sunrise or sunset. Thought’s on foreigners and other religions: Tenshenism encourages the recruitment of others to the faith of Tenshen but does not require them to forsake their old gods, and instead encourages the incorporation of those gods. Structure of religion: The religious structure is made up of monks who spend almost all of their time either spreading the word of Tenshen or contemplating the world. There is no central authority in Inxin; in Tari Shan the Bejlerbej claims leadership of the movement and has since the conquest of Xin Inxin in 1915-1916, but the Bejlerbej exercises almost no control over the state of Tenshenism in Tari Shan, instead using it as a motivational tool to prevent Taris from getting too friendly with surrounding states (non-religious Inxin and Borzaya, aggressively Taterist Potatostan). On balance: Tenshen’s authority usually appears to be the main lynchpin of balance. The Ever Rising Path In Montane, the old religion is a life-cycle faith, the Ever Rising Path. They correlate to the lively meadowlands at the north of the region with spring, birth, childhood, and vitality; the populous central hill region, where most of the wealth and industry lay, with summer, adulthood, parenthood, productivity, and order; and the high peaks in the south with winter, old age, wisdom, and teaching. The meltwater that kept Montane well-watered and habitable represented passing one what one had to the next generation. The Ever Rising Path did not have high gods, but rather created a mythology of nature spirits and bygone heroes, all of whom followed the cycle of life from meadow to mountain, died, and were reborn. Structure of religion: Organized religion was led by priests who could be ordained by other priests and focused on ensuring a harmonious, generous life, usually by weekly services in which a community discussion of the religious folklore was led by the priest. It was thus a very loose religion in theory, but devotees would often try to have children in northern Montane and travel south over the course of their lives. The totalitarian government was unsure how to suppress this very distinctly regional religion and forcibly relocated people during the subjugation of Montane, which led to the Montane Diaspora becoming even more easily distributed as most of the population simply left. It is widely considered that the religion, which is almost dead in the present day (whereas Tenshenism can boast millions of adherents, the Ever Rising Path has at most 3,000 left), was not a threat to the government and the response to it actually produced a larger problem. Whisdy Pantheon In Whisdyen, an extended pantheon of gods developed with an elaborate hierarchy; these gods were considered to have dominion over some aspect of life and were worshiped at shrines. The hierarchy of these gods for an individual worshiper was determined by one's experiences and station in life; for example, a lord would be expected to place the most faith in Admath, the god of leadership, and then secondly the god of whatever his domain's economy was based on. Methods of worship: The gods were to be kept appeased by building shrines or leaving offerings at existing ones. This shrine culture led to constant internecine conflict and an overabundance of shrines in Whisdyen, which in turn made it very easy for the totalitarian government to hire Whisdy from one region to destroy another region's shrines and vice versa. The Whisdy religion was mostly carried out by those who could build shrines, leading it to be described in other regions as the "stonemason's religion". It was easy to associate the hard times of the totalitarian era with the loss of the shrines, and the region's builders were able to quickly raise money for new shrines in the post-totalitarian era.' ' Thoughts on foreigners and other religions: The Whisdy religion, like Tenshenism, is accepting of other gods, but simply ascribes them to be the patron god of the foreign culture that created them, and it is not uncommon to see Whisdy who have regular contact with foreigners giving brief and often highly inappropriate homage to those deities (for example, a Whisdy merchant in Zildari might leave a used shirt outside a church to indicate that he is grateful to the Iontach Kartoffel, in his view the Whisdy deity of Zildarians, for providing him his living). The nameless Whisdy religion has about 750,000 modern adherents and is growing at a moderate pace due to ease of adoption and relative comfort for the post-religious population. Algj Philosophy The Algj religion is not so much a religion as a way of life and is very much centered on knowledge and books in particular. It's focused on the preservation and expansion of knowledge available to the Algj people, and they consider writing and books somewhat sacred. Methods of worship: Algj people are obligated to steal a book any time they move to somewhere new, but after having read it and added something to it are free to return it. They must not destroy books/information. They must not steal books from family members. Almost all living Algj obey these tenets and while book theft is still not legal, it is widely ignored as long as the book is returned undamaged. The Algj god is widely equated with the Whisdy patron god of thieves, and the Algj also formerly gave offerings to makeshift libraries in caves. This part of the religion has been ended by suppression, and in modern times with the development of a public library system. The religion developed due to Algj being almost completely unproductive historically due to its geography (for comparison, see certain regions of Greece where piracy supported almost the entire economy). Thoughts on foreigners and other religions: It is fully tolerant of other religions and permitted worship of other gods for the sake of the survival of its people. Khara-Haxa The Khara-Haxa religion is fully syncretic monotheism. They believe all monotheistic religions are one and thus follow the same basic template with wide variation: There is one creator god (Hazakhama is the most common name) and worship of Hazakhama with prayer, common services and minor offerings will lead to a beneficial afterlife. There was historically tension between worshipers of Hazakhama and Tenshen because while both religions are syncretic, the exact syncretism differs. Hazakhama's followers hold that Tenshen is Hazakhama by another name, while Tenshenists believe that Hazakhama is Tenshen's child (oddly enough, both are fine with the Whisdy interpretations). Followers of the traditional Khara-Haxa religion (the name of the religion differs between the two groups) number about 400,000 in modern times, due to the broad appeal, but that number has been mostly stagnant since 2005, following the initial expansion after the new constitution fully deregulated the religion. Kurce (And Minor Cults) Almost 200 small cults exist around Inxin. The native Kurce religion, widely cited by the Kurce as a way of differentiating themselves from their neighbors, is a polytheistic religion focused on nature spirits (wolf, elk, bear, vulture, and other local fauna representing some aspect of human life) with about 1,500 members following its "restoration" almost 400 years after going extinct. Eastern Province is a hotbed of religious activity, with almost the entire population following either Tenshen, the Whisdy religion, or one of a great number of small religions averaging about 1,000 members and ranging in age from currently developing to time immemorial. Old Ras Covering the many different faiths and religious beliefs across the Empire of Old Ras, the Rasian Pantheon, along with the syncretistic(and even non syncretistic) versions of Flame and Creator worship all treat balance within a vital role, albeit also differently as opposed to the others, so a singular view on balance is almost impossible to find. The largest common agreement thus far is that balance is achieved by being, as simply by being part of the Cycle, one is part of it’s balance. The two most important “gifts” as seen by both religions are life and freedom, so protection of both is seen as paramount(this leads to one of the few conservative Rasian beliefs as abortions are seen to conflict with the first gift for the use of the second, but in such a way also with the second of the child whose life is seen as being taken). The Rasian religion is rather liberal, with an emphasis on freedom, protection of all life no matter what, knowledge and scientific advancement being the primary goals to achieving this as well as a deep reverence for the past, both their own and that of others. While there are many beliefs within the Empire, a few are worth mentioning as having larger followings or a heavy impact on the pantheon as a whole. Thoughts on foreigners and other religions: Almost all of Old Ras’ religions are open to the existance of other gods, either as faces and personifications of their own or as separate deities entirely. All are part of the great pantheon in the end. The only ones who really don't are the non-syncretist Flame and Creator worshipers, although they don't view adherents of other religions as evil. In the opinion of both so long as you're good, you're a brother, even if you don't agree with them on everything and as such deserve the same equality they enjoy. In regards to foreigners, Rasian xenophilia may very well be the largest in the world, thus far only the Communals seem capable of matching it. Tetrad Worship Tetrad worship(Worship of the Sun, Moon, River and Sky) - this includes the many different syncretisms existing across the states of the empire. The main ones are Sin-Nanna the Moon, king of the gods and god of the moon, wisdom, knowledge, science and civilization, Zun the Sun, god of trade, justice, law and banking, Chalchiketnu the River, three faced(in the mainland anyway) goddess of water, healing, death, farmers, life and fertility and The Eternal Sky, god of freedom, retribution, sky, honour and the ancestors. Ancestor Worship This is prevalent and spreads across all religions, although some only perform this kind of worship. It's rather impossible to find somewhere that doesn't perform this kind of reverence and even some atheists participate in it, although obviously not in the afterlife sense so much as honouring their memories sense. Flame Worship The oldest "monotheistic" religion in the Empire, it's also a philosophy, polytheism and syncretism. It is basically Zoroastrianism with the incest removed. As a philosophy it has greatly influenced the Empire and brought about the importance of civilization while making villains out of those who are seen as barbarians by performing actions such as colonising, slavery, violent proselytizing, anything too aggressive that isn't in self defense really. While by now a minority religion, as a philosophy it has shaped Old Ras the most. Almost the entirety of Rasian tolerance, mutual integration and xenophilia can trace their way back to this religion. The Philosophies While these beliefs can indeed and sometimes are treated as religions they are more philosophies, if ones that have reached religious levels of reverence. Most of them are present in Joseon, with a few others spreading elsewhere. The Great Liberation Buddhism, with a focus on Mahayana in the south, Vajrayana in the north and Shinto-Buddhism in the east of Joseon, this religion also exists as a philosophy that can be followed in conjunction to any other faith. The Way of the Scholar Confucianism, it is especially prevalent and has very much defined Rasian bureaucracy, which was very much shaped by Joseon's administration. Mandarins who aren't adherents themselves still tend to follow the tenets for more practical reasons than religious ones. The Path Taoism, this would be the one religion that has a real fetish for balance since as those of you with knowledge of the religion are well aware. Unlike the Way of the Scholar, in the same way as Taoism differs from Confucianism, it doesn't rely on the same structure and order, relying on a more natural flow through compassion, frugality and humility. Shattered Unity Literally the driving force behind the entirety of the Empire, it is almost entirely a philosophy, with only fringe groups treating it as a religion, namely one that worships harmony and paradoxes. There are always many answers and each of them contradicts another and all should be treated as equally true and false. Worshipers almost entirely meditate upon it and it's a more extreme form of meditation and contemplation as opposed to the other religions, seeing as how one is trying to contemplate the grand tapestry that connects us all and what one could do to prevent it's unraveling. Militaristic Philosophies These are several sets of philosophies stemming from all around the empire, mostly in use by soldiers and other such professions, trying to find perfection, discipline, the final answer etc. From Eagle and Jaguar warriors in Mayapan to the berserkers of Estwend and Norwend to the Flying Spears of Matupa, there's quite a lot of these guys but the main point is that some warriors equate their discipline to religion. Also would be a good time to mention Mystras(basically Mithras), patron god of soldiers from whom several philosophies, both non militaristic and militaristic stem. Spirit Worship Worship of all non ancestral spirits, whether they be the Landvættir of Norwend, the land wight guardians of the land, the animal, mountain, forest, desert etc spirits of the states or any other element. They are all a part of the Cycle and great Harmony. Westlandia The first human settlers in Westlandia arrived on longships as part of a Suekivan expedition in the early 4th century. Soon, they started favouring Claude, their god of clouds, over Noddy, the god of thunder and the most prominent of the Suekivan pantheon. This belief spread to Suekiva itself in the 6th century. By the 8th century, a clear divide between the followers of Noddy and Claude had formed in Suekiva, with the settlers in Suekiva’s other colony, the Winnish Isles, still preferring Noddy. A synod at the holy site in Kivaholm failed to bring the two sides back together, and a civil war followed. The Claudians were victorious, and the remaining Noddyists left for the Winnish Isles. Suekiva and Westlandia were unified as a theocratic state. Not long after that, however, a period of lower-than-average temperatures caused a major famine in Suekiva. Believing that the gods had forsaken them, the Suekivans overthrew the Claudian leadership, who then left for Westlandia with the remaining followers of Claude. Here, they founded the Earldom of Westlandia. It is unknown why the Claudians favoured Claude, but it is commonly believed that they believed fast-moving clouds caused strong winds, rather than the other way around. This was beneficial for their ship based expeditions and fishing boats. Additionally, clouds bring rain, which is needed for agriculture. Over time, the other gods in the Suekivan pantheon faded away, only being mentioned as Claude’s family in stories. Nowadays, the religion can be considered monotheistic. Claude is no longer described as god of clouds, but a ‘multipurpose’ god, pictured as a raincloud. Structure of the religion: The Church of Claude the Cloud is staffed by the Weathermen. As the name suggests, they are men (and these days women too), trained in meteorology as well as theology. They provide weather forecasts and lead services in the church. The Weathermen choose one of their own to be the Grand Weatherman, currently Paulus Pietma. The Grand Weatherman presents his weather forecast every evening on television. Thoughts on foreigners and other religions: Claudians believe that while Claude considers all men equal, he shows a bit more favour towards the people of Westlandia, the island itself being the god’s “bride”. In regards to other religions they’re open to other religions, so long as they do not try to forcibly convert you. Claude's Seven Teachings # Honour your parents and superiors. # You shall not murder or harm unless out of self defence. # You shall not commit adultery. # You shall not steal. # You shall not bear false witness against anyone. # Be loyal to those that deserve it. # Work hard to solve your problems, and to help others solve their problems. Xelha The Pantheon of the nation of Xelha, Xelhan Orthodoxy has an even greater focus on the tenet of balance. You never pray to one deity. Instead you pray to one that favors what you want and it's opposing entity. The goal is that in exchange for favor for the one you want you give back to the one opposing. The only exception to this rule is technically Hannah who is the goddess of balance and judgement. Whom you usually pray to for bringing balance between you and someone else (thus reversing the number rolls). Xelhan Orthodoxy also has a greater note on reincarnation as death is only considered a respite between lives, by fulfilling good deeds one feels an unseen divine quota, which once completed grants one access into an eternal paradise in the afterlife. The Xelhan religion’s five main teachings, the Five Precepts are considered the most important rules within the religion proper and the main guideline for all adherents to the gods of Xelhan Orthodoxy.' ' Thoughts on foreigners and other religions: All people are equal in the eyes of Xelhan Orthodoxy, and any attempts at crusades or aggressive missionary work are frowned upon greatly. Structure of the religion: High Priest/ess: Voted in by regional Priests. Leader of the religion. Priest/ess:: Provincial/Regional Overseers of the religion. Each province has their own appointed priest, plus major population centers have another to streamline their concerns. Maiku/Miko: Referred to as groundskeepers. They usually help maintain and live on church properties. They also take care of activities such as confessionals that occur outside of church service hours. Ministers: Leaders of the Congregation. They speak and minister to the people during service hours Five Precepts 1) Abstain from causing harm and taking life If killing an animal, give thanks for the offering. (Grace is said before meals/eating). If killing another person in self defense, forgiveness can be asked. (Prayers can be offered to Katherine and Monjar for intercession. Soldiers Prayer.) 2) Abstain from taking that which is not given to you. No stealing. Not coveting. 3) Abstain from wrong speech No lying or perjury No fraud or false witness 4)Partake in respectful and lawful actions Be respectful of elders and parents No sexual misconduct that would shame your parents (or break the law) 5) Your body is your soul’s temple Practice good hygiene As with a home, some cosmetics/decor are fine. Don’t be vain Zildari Taterism There are primarily two religions that lie within the territory of the Confederacy of Zildari: New Taterism within the lands of the Homestead Union, Keoter and Urgeth; Volhnism in Dowhlea. Despite proximity the two religions couldn’t be more different. Yet despite this, conflict between the two has been relatively minimal. New Taterism This Zildarian religion shares several core beliefs with its parent Orthodoxy ((Potatostani Taterism)) in terms of founding principles & values. That is to say, there is a heavy emphasis on promoting prosperity, and food has a very important role in the religion - eating it, growing it, sharing it; food brought the first migrants together, and helped them overcome hundreds of years of subjugation and nomadic lifestyle - it was the cornerstone of Potatostani & Zildarian civilization. So there's a strong sense of community surrounding agriculture that goes much deeper than simply enjoying farmwork. And the founders of the Zildarian region were keenly aware of this fact that agriculture was key to their survival & rather quick change from nomadic lifestyle to civilization (the first cities reaching adolescence in only a few half-centuries). This keen awareness was partly due to an effective organizing church, and capable manipulative local leaders -- who saw much value in a unified church. As such, it quickly became a tenet that all other deities & minor gods were to be subservient to the Iontach Kartoffel, which had raised them out of destitution. They did not disavow regional deities ((at least not until the Schism, which split the Taterist Church in two and formed New Taterism)), so as to allow best integration of regions & smoother administration. As a part of that 'integration period', the church promoted the manufacture & spread of idyllic imagery, which also embraced regional traditions dating back hundreds of years ((which were basically a strong-seated belief in luck)). So imagery of the Iontach Kartoffel is abundant, and much encouraged. It was a practice they observed in others, and chose to adopt. Multiplying plentifully was another tenant that was already in effect before the church was formed properly -- the agri boom from adding the potato to three-crop rotation was seeing larger and larger families develop (which ultimately hurt the church, as Clans began to assert regional influence over the churches). Regardless, at first the church thought more people = more taxes = less chance of invasion, and so adopted and promoted the practice. Keeping holy the seventh day - this was something that really occurred later on in the religion's development. The Zildarians & Potatostani have nomadic & rural roots, and the new cities were quick to grow. As such, those left out of the cities felt a great disconnect from those living in the 'hedonistic pits of disease' -- several rebellions, some successful ensued. In trying to reconcile the rural-urban cultural divide, the policy of keeping a day of rest (taking it slow, like the rural folk lived) was one compromise those living in the cities were willing to make in order to get the farmlands to come back into the fold. The urbanites still held great affection for the agricultural business & respect for the farmers, and so took on the reform to help heal their dividing communities. Respecting & honoring thine ancestors. While one might think that all this new prosperity would make the Taterist culture forward-looking in nature, the realities of their time actually made them very backwards-looking. They saw discontent rise between urbanites & rural folk and resolved it by going back to the Old Ways of taking things slowly on a day of rest (La de Ruhig). Similarly, they sought to respect their nomadic ancestors, whose wandering allowed them to, by luck and the will of the Iontach Kartoffel, stumble upon the Holy Land which saved them from destitution. They are forever indebted to luck, the Iontach Kartoffel, and their ancestors for that discovery of the Holy Land. Thou shalt only kill in self-defense. While on the topic of ancestors, we must recall the Boreal Crusades. Those hundreds of years of painful subjugation, harassment, and unprovoked attack by those of higher authority and power (mostly Borzayans). This bred a contempt for openly aggressive authoritative figures, as well as for the process of murder they could not protect against. As such, the nomadic communities bound tightly together, and swore loyalty to the members of their own tribe, as well as to never subjugate others (having been those subjugates before). You can kind of lump honesty & rebuffment of jealousy in with the idea of having to be a tight-knit community in order to survive the Boreal Crusades; kind of coping mechanisms Hatred of theft & humility (hatred of arrogance) in with "identifying what you want to be as being opposite of what you don't want to be" -- a.k.a. the Golden Horde stole much, and laughed much. They grew to despise that. Restraint & moderation came later on in the development of the religion, around the same time as the 'reconciliation period' when La de Ruhig was instituted & ancestor respect became prevalent. Basically, there had to be balance between the Old Ways (rural & nomadic) and the New (urbanite) -- they felt their communities were coming apart, and a deep instinct of having to be close-knit to avoid a predator coming by and ravaging them was triggered. And when the initial reforms did not completely resolve the issues, a great debate was held amongst the priests of Taterism as to what to do next to keep their peoples together. The resulting conclusion was to basically proselytize an attitude adjustment -- from being a stubborn, defensive people who seized opportunities to survive eagerly to being more open-minded and practicing restraint and moderation in order to keep their communities from spreading apart.I'm not sure that's a very strong argument, but when it began to work, the Taterist culture tends to simply accept it.What works, works. Wasting time worrying (being overly New Ways) isn't gonna change anything. "It is what it is".' ' Structure of the religion: If the goal of someone is to understand the basic gist of New Taterism, one ought to examine how Taterist communities process events & react to new changes in their environment. This is closely tied to the structure of the New Taterist Church, which is markedly different from the Church of Orthodox Taterism -- in other words, the way a Potatostani Taterist will react to something is very different to the way a New Taterist will react to the same stimuli. In the New Taterist Church, the "go with the flow" mentality is very much alive and well -- they are very receptive to new ideas, and tend to let change occur organically. They believe strongly in keeping an open mind and not labeling almost anything as heretical (dating back to those initial reforms which allowed the Potatostani communities to reconcile the rural and urban) On the other hand, Orthodox Taterists prefer to actively be involved in the reformation process -- when their communities grew apart, they took action to preserve them. New ideas are debated vigorously, as they have to be compared & balanced with the wisdom of the Old Ways. This difference in approach is in large part why the Taterist Schism resulted in the fracture of the Church. The Orthodox Church is slow to change, and debates things actively & constantly. New Taterism is structured in such a way to give local pastors much more breathing room in adapting the basic tenets to speak more directly to their congregations, and what might be true for one congregation might not necessarily be accepted by another. There is much room for innovation & experimentation. Routine check-in visits do occur from the central church to ensure no one goes too far radical, but their attitude is more that they'd rather correct overchange, than miss an opportunity to speak to someone's heart.' ' Thoughts on foreigners and other religions: Not discussing the Orthodox view (which is rather suspicious of New Ways), the New Taterists tend to view other religions with genuine congeniality. They believe the Iontach Kartoffel will provide for all those who wish to follow its tenets, and they wish to spread its knowledge to them. While they will listen to others viewpoints, and will keep an open mind about accepting any new good ideas, they do believe that spreading Taterism is a good thing for global prosperity, and will likely hand their new friends carven or printed images of the Iontach Kartoffel. So while they are nice, and fairly receptive & cohabitable, their neighbors of a different bent might find Taterists a bit pushy in terms of displaying their worship openly and being eager to discuss religious matters with others. Methods of worship: It is customary to go to church on the day of rest, as it is considered relaxing to be together with the community. It is not unusual for non-essential businesses in Zildari to close early or be closed all day on La de Ruhig ((sunday)). Churches tend to be very plain - generally there are images of the Iontach Kartoffel, but otherwise mostly a very humble appearance. Simple wooden interiors, not fancy gold or audacious decoration. This attitude extends into everyday life; the gaudy is not typically appreciated in fashion nor flavor. ((except for the more rebellious teenage population, which embraces such things not because they truly like them so much as it annoys their elders)) Large meals, and prayers at the dinner table are typical. Beyond this, there are relatively few outward signs of devout New Taterist belief. They don't wear any special clothes, and they don't tend to protest anything on religious grounds. Many Zildarians know their neighbors quite well, and find it odd when they visit other nations where sometimes people don't know their apartment block neighbors. However, New Taterists tend to also seem quite rude to certain cultures, as they assume all food presented is fully available for them to eat, that everyone is ready to discuss things on a deep philosophical level relatively soon after first meeting, and will show up knocking at a neighbor's door three days in a row to invite them shooting, bowling, and then to the movies only days after moving in. Orthodox Taterism Volhnism Unlike Taterism, Volhnism's founding was not strongly tied to any specific cultural turning point or church. Instead, it started as an amalgamation of different regional beliefs that slowly began to coalesce into a single loose religion. To explain, when the ((Slavic)) peoples first sailed acrosst the Moore Dvoy (inland sea) to settle in what would one day become Dowhlea, they did so as a flight from the now extinct Princedom of Artor (formerly located in what is now northern Borzaya). The Princedom was in all around decline from its glory days, and was being plagued by the constant attacks of the Golden Horde ((idr if we changed the name of them, so going with the buzzword)). The Urgench and Keotans who bordered Artor would not allow immigrants to pass, being longime rivals with the Princedom among other things, and so the refugees were forced to take to the sea. However, their craft were crude as the people were not well versed in hard survival skills (being mostly merchants and the ilk) -- many did not survive the crossing, and those who did would not trust their craft to make the journey again. And so many pre-Dowhlean settlements cropped up throughout the Temro Izumrod and especially along its edges (forming Nagyar & Fusnetra over time). These settlements lost much knowledge and culture from the Princedom days, but retained the basics of the belief system ((Artor's religion was firmly polytheistic, with gods for every occasion - not totally dissimilar from the Roman/Greek pantheon)) - that is, a belief in a fractionalization of divine power. Many settlers felt that the idea of a pantheon of benevolent gods was incompatible with the immense suffering and hardship they were undergoing - after all, how could all the gods conspire to bring such cruelty upon them? How could such unanimous cruelty exist? As a result, many lost faith in the very concept of deities, and could only contribute such to an enemy, a new enemy - nature. Bears attacked them in the night (frightful creatures very rare in Borzaya itself), and the ground was harsh against crops. It was wild and brutal, but also promising and beautiful; it cared not for the life of others, only in balance of the ecosystem. And so there was a shift away from deism and a drift towards spiritualism and anti-deism. Part of learning to survive in the wilds of the Temro Izumrod was to practice great moderation and balance in all things - too much feasting in the summer led to deaths of entire villages in the winter. As the new culture developed (the rather sparsely populated Zildari to the west, the callous Urgench to the immediate south, the reclusive and collapsing Artor to the deeper south, and the foreign peoples of Xelha (mountain folk) and Viserys (warlike)) it found itself praying not to what must certainly be cruel and callous deities, but to give sacrifices to the forces of nature and balance - to the chaotic energies that could only be bother to pay attention to the way their ecosystem was balanced (not giving a damn about the prayers of humans). Structure of the religion: Volhnists don’t call it a church, they call it the Councils Collect, if they ever do refer to the body as a whole. Every religious Dowhlean community that is large enough to have a governing body (mayor, town council, etc) has at least one graduated Volhnist druid who coordinates religious retreats and community events. That druid will typically have several understudies, but as physical church buildings are not a typical thing (mostly only existing in the two main cities) there is not much need for any other clergy; Vohlnists typically commune in nature, or in one another's homes. Additionally, Vohlnist libraries exist, but not in the traditional sense of the word -- instead of shelves of books, there are cabinets and drawers full of all sorts of audio recordings, such as CD, Cassette, DVD, floppy disk recordings, etc etc! Every druid sits on a regional council (governed by history, not modern borders), which meets infrequently in formal session (informal meetings are frequent, in public, and typically relaxed). When in formal session (insert cool-sounding IC name here), technically these councils are open to the public by default, and the audience is considered a part of the council. However, only graduated druids may grant speaking time, and only the druids sitting on that regional council (not all druids in attendance) may have a recorded vote. All decisions reached must be unanimous, so typically formal sessions are very rare, last for long periods of time, and will come about only if a great issue is uncovered. Historically, it was not unknown for a formal session to last decades, with the Nagyaran regional councils following a different belief from the Fusnetran regional councils, before finally being resolved by the passing of time and long respectful (mostly) dialogue. A note on new communities: Typically, Vohlnism has not sought to spread itself, being content in its native land. However, a certain popular young druid of the modern century (Viktor Dohnaghee) popularized the practice of 'Balance Books' - audiobooks kept on the person which detail the most relevant stories and lore regarding the essences & spirits of a given foreign locale. Proper Balance Books can be sanctioned by any druid who has spent at least 3 years studying the foreign region in question (living there during that time is required). However, this practice is still controversial, as many believe that practice to be irreverent & disrespectful 'travel guides'.''' Thoughts on foreigners and other religions: Vohlnism will never have Crusades, and will likely not try to proselytize outside the Dowhlean region much. Generally, they will just view missionaries as vaguely disrespectful of the regional balance of energies, but so long as they don't do anything too bad, they will be fine. However, they are typically very open with allowing anyone to sit in and watch the proceedings, and even value input if the individual demonstrates knowledge of the gathered's belief. There is slight racism early on (Dowhleans prefer to trust Dowhleans), but that quickly gets overcome as trade becomes important to the 'balance of survival'. Dowhleans have a deep desire to preserve balance in the world; if there is someone fighting an unfair fight, they will help the underdog if they can. And to those who they owe much, they will give much. Methods of worship: Monthly gatherings, either in nature or rotate through practitioner's private homes. Format is typically casual, general milling about and catching up for about an hour, until the presiding druid calls the gathering to order. Everyone typically sits without shoes in a circle if possible, with the druid standing barefoot in the center. Then the druid recounts an important/relevant story from the regional history - audience interaction not uncommon - typically in a theatrical fashion (meant to be lighthearted, unless the topic is morbid). After the story has been told, the group discusses it at length. Then the druid opens the discussion to any matters of faith that may be unaddressed, or conflicting - children in particular encouraged to question. After all questions have been resolved, the gathering is technically officially adjourned (people get up and mill about), but the unofficial gathering has just begun. There is then food and games, as well as the druid(s) walking around talking about community issues or just talking to talk. In terms of everyday routines, Volhnists tend to wear more open clothing (open toed shoes, loose shirts, etc) and will be more mindful of nature than the typical person. They are also genuinely friendly and tend to stand rather close when talking to one another or strangers (most Zildarians prefer a good chunk of distance between speakers). Individual symbols of worship are not regulated unless egregious (aka prayer beads or stones are not uncommon, as well as bracelets, and meaningful tattoos are common). ((Idk if I stated it here or not, but a druid will be 'gifted' a tattoo of his mentoring druid's choice every five years. While a given druid may never choose their own tattoos until their mentor passes, they will always be able to influence the next generation)). Urgench Polytheism The Church of Eisenfaust Religion Type Listing: Independent Faiths Orthodox Taterism The Church of Eisenfaust Religion Type Listing: International Faiths The Greater Pantheon Common Beliefs A polytheistic religion encompassing many nations from all corners of the world, The Greater Pantheon formed over many centuries from the many syncretisms between nations all over the world, mostly by way of trade and exchange of ideas. While beliefs and methods of worship vary from region to region and nation to nation, several key tenets tie them together in addition to the mutual recognition of each other’s divine authority: # Keeping Balance is Important # Violence is Bad, except in Self Defense # Be Loyal to those proven Kin # Traditions are to be Preserved # Progress is Evolution, and ought be encouraged (Note: One would note that progress and tradition would seem as opposites but within these religions only rapid progress is looked upon with suspicion, as it is considered rushing into action, which leads to mistakes. In keeping with the first and most important tenet, balance between tradition and progress, past and future upon present, is paramount.) Root Religions Common Religious Calendar Category:Religion Category:General Knowledge